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Clear Your Next 10 Minutes Because This Video Could Change How Happy You Are With Your Entire Week

An old man and a little kidling are gonna show you how to fall in love with your own life. At around 0:40, you can see the photographer doing something naked. It's not totally relevant, but it's nakedness, so bonus. At 3:45, a little girl drops some knowledge that you just can't believe such a little person would have. At about 4:50, a man I wish would be my honorary grandfather starts really putting things in perspective for me.

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Immigrant couples find joy with new Thanksgiving tradition

This Chinatown shop is holding space for tradition in a changing city

Photo: Jessica Shuran Yu for Documented.
David Huang, 23, and Ana Delgado, 24, are one of three couples at The One Wedding Plaza on Thanksgiving Day.
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On Thanksgiving Day, when most Americans gather with family to reflect on and celebrate their blessings, a different kind of holiday tradition has flourished among immigrant families in recent decades: Weddings.

Both of our families are immigrants,” said Ana Delgado, whose family emigrated from Costa Rica to New York City. She and her husband, David Huang, whose family settled in Tennessee after leaving China, were married at The One Wedding Plaza on Thanksgiving Day in 2024. “We’re not super attached to the Thanksgiving [holiday],” she explained.

Thanksgiving Day weddings are especially popular among Chinese immigrants like the Huang family. Because many Chinese families in New York work in the retail, construction, or garment industries, the holiday provides a rare day off work where families and friends are available to gather. Boutiques like The One Wedding Plaza have stepped up to meet the demand, providing a one-stop shop for families looking to host a celebration. More than simply a wedding venue, boutiques like The One Wedding Plaza offer entertainment, catering arrangements, gown rentals, makeup services, and other wedding necessities.

Same Tradition, Shifting Cultures

Thanksgiving Day weddings continue to grow in popularity, but in New York City, the tradition looks different than it did pre-pandemic. Before COVID, boutiques and banquet halls in Chinatown bustled with customers, providing full wedding services for Chinese families. Now, however, much of the Chinese population in Chinatown has moved into neighboring areas like Flushing and Sunset Park, taking businesses with them. At the same time, according to reporting from Documented, an independent, non-profit newsroom dedicated to reporting with and for immigrant communities in New York City, more than one-fifth of storefronts in Chinatown have been forced to close. The result is that The One Wedding Plaza is now the last surviving full-scale wedding boutique in Chinatown—and the last remaining touchstone of the Thanksgiving Day wedding tradition for Chinatown-area families.

“This street used to be so lively,” said Jessica Liang, who works as the general manager of The One Wedding Plaza, which is located on East Broadway. At one point, she recalled, businesses along her street would be bustling with customers well into the night. Now, during the night, they’re mostly empty.

Wedding dresses at The One Wedding Plaza in Manhattan Chinatown.

Jessica Shuran Yu for Documented.

But Liang refuses to close shop. Although her locations in Flushing and Brooklyn are doing better than the Chinatown location, Liang is determined to keep the Chinatown location open to help couples like Huang and Delgado carry on meaningful family traditions and create new memories.

Blending Makeup, Blending Traditions

While the economy and the population have shifted in recent years, Thanksgiving Day Weddings are as meaningful as ever. Huang and Delgado, in fact, were so dedicated to the idea that they flew their families to New York from Tennessee in order to celebrate, as there were no banquet halls in Tennessee suitable for a Chinese wedding. The high school sweethearts were one of three couples who married at The One Wedding Plaza on Thanksgiving 2024, their celebration—a joyful mix of Mandarin, English, and Spanish cultures. Liang, in addition to acting as the Plaza’s general manager, also offered services as a makeup artist for Delgado and her bridesmaids on the big day.

Like many immigrant families, Huang and Delgado weren’t just celebrating a wedding—they were paying tribute to their respective cultures, embracing new traditions, and honoring the immigrant experience. The One Wedding Plaza made that possible not only by providing makeup services and the venue, but holding space for a celebration of heritage and community. It’s for exactly this reason that Liang is committed to keeping The One Wedding Plaza open for immigrant families in Chinatown for years to come.

--

This article, written by Jessica Shuran Yu, originally appeared on Documented, an independent, non-profit newsroom dedicated to reporting with and for immigrant communities in New York City. Documented’s community-driven approach to journalism and information impacts the everyday experiences of immigrants—including providing original reporting and resource guides in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Haitian Creole. Sign up for Early Arrival, Documented’s newsletter, for immigration news—docu.nyc/earlyarrival.


This article is part of Upworthy’s “The Threads Between U.S.” series that highlights what we have in common thanks to the generous support from the Levi Strauss Foundation, whose grantmaking is committed to creating a culture of belonging.

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12 unforgettable side-by-side photos of people over 100-years-old with their younger selves

A truly beautiful reminder of how delightful aging can be.

via Jan Langer/Aktualne

Jan Langer's incredible photos are timeless.

Czech photographer Jan Langer's portrait series "Faces of Century" shows them in a different light: as human beings aged by years of experience, but at their deepest level, unchanged by the passing of time. In the series, Langer juxtaposes his portraits with another portrait of the subject from decades earlier. He recreates the original pose and lighting as closely as he can — he wants us to see them not just as they are now, but how they have and haven't changed over time. That is the key to the series.

These are the rare faces of people who have lived through two world wars, a cavalcade of regimes, and the rush of advancements in modern life. These photos, and the stories of the lives lived by the people in them, show not only the beauty of aging, but how even as we age, we still remain essentially ourselves.


All photos by Jan Langer.


1. Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101


 

 aging, photos, older people with their younger selves, aging process, 100 years old Prokop Vejdělek, at age 22 and 101via Jan Langer/Aktualne 

 

Vejdělek is a former metallurgical engineer who will never forget the taste of warm fresh goat's milk.


2. Bedřiška Köhlerová, at age 26 and 103



 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Originally born in Merano, Italy, Köhlerová wishes to visit Italy one more time.


3. Ludvík Chybík, at age 20 and 102


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Chybík is a former postal carrier and says he will never forget the route he worked every day.


4. Vincenc Jetelina, at age 30 and 105


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Jetelina spent eight years in prison after World War II. Now, he just wants to live the rest of his life in peace.


5. Antonín Kovář, at age 25 and 102


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Kovář is a former musician whose daughter comes to visit him every day. He wishes to play the clarinet once more.


6. Anna Vašinová, at age 22 and 102


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Vašinová will always remember the day her husband was taken away by the Nazis. She wishes to be reunited with him after death.

7. Stanislav Spáčil, at age 17 and 102


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Spáčil was an electrical engineer throughout his life and thinks that it's too early in his life to think about the past.


8. Anna Pochobradská, at age 30 and 100

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Pochobradská was a farmer. She now lives a quiet life and is thankful that her daughter visits her every weekend.


9. Antonín Baldrman, at age 17 and 101


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Baldrman was a clerk early in life and keeps up with current events by reading the newspaper.


10. Marie Burešová, at age 23 and 101


 

   via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Burešová loves talking to her family and wishes to have them all together again.


11. Vlasta Čížková, at age 23 and 101


 

 aging, photos, older people with their younger selves, aging process, 100 years old  via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Čížková cooked in the dining room at the airport in the small village of Vodochody. She'll never forget reciting her own poetry at wedding ceremonies.


12. Ludmila Vysloužilová, at age 23 and 101


 

 aging, photos, older people with their younger selves, aging process, 100 years old  via Jan Langer/Aktualne  

 

Vysloužilová stays active every day by chopping wood, shoveling snow, and doing work around her house.


The photographer Langer was initially inspired to document the lives of elderly people because of what he saw as the media's lack of coverage of them. He decided to focus on people over the age of 100 — a very rare demographic indeed. The 2020 U.S. Census recorded 80,139 people aged 100 or older, a 50.2% increase from the 53,364 centenarians counted in 2010. As our aging population continues to increase, and technology evolves along with it, it's likely these incredibly photo essays will become far more common. But for now, they are an incredible reminder of how precious and valuable life is, sometimes especially when we reach our golden years.

“One should live every single moment according to their best knowledge and conscience because one day we will see clearly what has a real value," Langer says of what he learned from his subjects while photographing them.

The series was originally part of a story that Langer did for the Czech news outlet aktuálně.cz. You can see more photos from the portrait sessions by following the link.

This article originally appeared seven years ago.

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The surprising reason why Gen X has turned out to be the happiest generation

The truth is we were always happy.

Canva

A concert crowd. An 80s woman. A skateboarder.

When many think of Generation X, they think "cynical slacker," i.e. baby-busting latchkey kids who were faced with so much world trauma, they never had the time nor the resources to process.

The Financial Brand, a database benefiting marketers, describes the generation as "once characterized as apathetic 'grunge kids.'" But now, with age, there has been a pivot in the perception, at least in terms of advertising. "Gen Xers are now known for independence, individualism and entrepreneurialism."

They further explain how we came to be this way: "Their childhood was marked by the end of the Cold War and the rise of personal computers — indeed, Gen X invented the internet economy — as well as a record-high divorce rate and the AIDS epidemic. They entered adulthood in a poor economy, which was further destabilized by the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the 2008 Great Recession, contributing to the generation’s reputation for cynicism. Many are now caring for children and aging parents at the same time, and Gen Xers carry the highest debt load of any generation."

  Reality Bites, Winona Ryder, Ben Stiller, 80s movies, Gen X  www.youtube.com, Universal Studios 

But what ultimately became of this hardship was happiness. We were scrappy because we had to be. Our individualism turned many of us into entrepreneurs who created our own guidelines and goal posts. Out were the rule books so many of our parents followed and in was the idea that we could kinda just do whatever the heck we wanted.

In the recent article "Yes, Generation X is the coolest generation and (whisper it) the happiest too" forThe Independent, Bill Borrows confidently exclaims, "Gen-Xers (those born between 1965 and 1980) are now in their fifties and still doing what they were doing after the Berlin Wall came down and have never really stopped doing: having fun, living life."

Borrows notes the slew of authors writing about Gen X, many with conflicting theories. He shares how The Economist "dubbed us the new problem generation," while Vogue actually admits we're cool, as we were the "unbothered people that nobody talks about."

He claps back, "The cool ones have always been the 'unbothered people that nobody talks about.' Welcome to the party – it’s been going on for decades, but better late than never. It’s nice that Gen Z (1997–2012) are getting the memo too."

The key to our happiness is our coolness. From high school to now, a lot of us just didn't stop living a fun life. The Pixies come to town? We're there. Skateboard parks and bar crawls? Sure. Maybe it was our latchkey independence that told us we didn't have to become stodgy, so…we didn't.

And the truth is, even though we were labeled unhappy slackers, we were always happy. Fifteen years ago, researchers specifically studying Gen X claimed we've been doing just fine for a while. In Alene Dawson's 2011 article "Study Says Generation X is balanced and happy," for CNN, she cites University of Michigan's The Generation X Report which claims Gen Xers (who at the time were between 30–45) are "active, balanced and happy."

Using the research, Dawson takes apart myths one by one. One such myth was "Generation X is depressed." On the contrary, she writes, "Generation X is actually pretty happy. Two-thirds of Generation X are satisfied with their job; 24% of these workers rated their job at 9 or 10 on the satisfaction scale. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 meaning very happy, the median happiness score was 8, with 29% of Gen Xers saying they were very happy, scoring a 9 or 10."

Many have opinions on the matter. In the comment section of Borrows' piece, one person writes, in part: "They were the last generation to grow up in an era where home ownership was a choice, not a pipedream, and in which corporations and investment groups hadn't utterly wrecked the rental market. They benefited from having relatively comfortably well-off parents, a low cost of living, and are currently the wealthiest demographic by age in the whole country because Austerity didn't devastate their earning ability as much as every generation that came after."

Even other generations agree. "It's lovely to see you X'ers grow up and find out what us boomers knew all along, that life is what you make of it. So sweet."

Over on the subreddit r/GenX, a Redditor perfectly exemplifies why Gen X was both cool and remain (for the most part) happy:


"a) we didn't start the fire.
b) we collectively fixed a hole in the g-damned ozone layer.
c) Ryan Reynolds.

I don't even need to get into our musical contribution to know the debate doesn't even need to begin."

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Nazis demanded to know if ‘The Hobbit’ author J.R.R. Tolkien was Jewish. His response was legendary.

J.R.R. Tolkien had no problem telling his German publishing house exactly what he thought.

J.R.R. Tolkien by Public Domain/ Wikimedia Commons Joseph Goebbels by Vitold Muratov/Wikimedia Commons

J.R.R. Tolkien didn't mince words when asked his opinion on Nazis

In 1933, Adolf Hitler handed the power of Jewish cultural life in Nazi Germany to his chief propagandist, Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels established a team of of regulators that would oversee the works of Jewish artists in film, theater, music, fine arts, literature, broadcasting, and the press.

Goebbels' new regulations essentially eliminated Jewish people from participating in mainstream German cultural activities by requiring them to have a license to do so.

This attempt by the Nazis to purge Germany of any culture that wasn't Aryan in origin led to the questioning of artists from outside the country.

 J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, Nazi, Nazis, book burning, censorship, The Hobbit A Nazi book burning in GermanyImage via Wikicommons 

 

In 1938, English author J. R. R. Tolkien and his British publisher, Stanley Unwin, opened talks with Rütten & Loening, a Berlin-based publishing house, about a German translation of his recently-published hit novel, "The Hobbit."

Privately, according to "1937 The Hobbit or There and Back Again," Tolkien told Unwin he hated Nazi "race-doctrine" as "wholly pernicious and unscientific." He added he had many Jewish friends and was considering abandoning the idea of a German translation altogether.

  lord of the rings hobbits GIF  Giphy  

The Berlin-based publishing house sent Tolkien a letter asking for proof of his Aryan descent. Tolkien was incensed by the request and gave his publisher two responses, one in which he sidestepped the question, another in which he handled in '30s-style with pure class.

In the letter sent to Rütten & Loening, Tolkien notes that Aryans are of Indo-Iranian "extraction," correcting the incorrect Nazi aumption that Aryans come from northern Europe. He cuts to the chase by saying that he is not Jewish but holds them in high regard. "I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people," Tolkien wrote.

Tolkien also takes a shot at the race policies of Nazi Germany by saying he's beginning to regret his German surname. "The time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride," he writes.

  Bryan Cranston Mic Drop GIF  Giphy  

Here's the letter sent to Rütten & Loening:

25 July 1938 20 Northmoor Road, Oxford
Dear Sirs,

Thank you for your letter. I regret that I am not clear as to what you intend by arisch. I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people.

My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject — which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride.

Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung.
I trust you will find this reply satisfactory, and
remain yours faithfully,

J. R. R. Tolkien



 

 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Nazis, Nazi, Germany  The letter J.R.R. Tolkien wrote to his German publishersImage via Letters of Note 

 

This article originally appeared four years ago.

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Why so many backpacks have that 'pig nose' patch and why you might want to use it

It's actually a functional feature.

Photo credit: Canva

Did you know the "pignose" on your backpack actually serves a purpose?

It’s always fascinating to gain new understanding of everyday sayings or items that we previously took for granted. In this case, new understanding might give you a whole new way to use said item. The item we’re talking about today is pig noses. Don’t worry, no actual pigs have been harmed.

As explained by a short and sweet video from @TheIronSnail on YouTube, pig noses are the name for that ubiquitous diamond shaped-latch with the two holes in it that you’ve undoubtedly seen on at least one of your backpacks.

The more formal name for this piece is a "lash tab," which makes its mysterious function actually make sense…if you’re a hiker, anyway. Lashing is a term for fastening two things together (usually a tool and a bag) with rope, to make traveling rugged terrain a little easier.

Lash tabs specifically were first used by mountaineers going on expeditions through colder climates, and therefore would hold ice tools—the ice pick, first and foremost.

As Michael Kristy, host of @TheIronSnail demonstrates in the clip (albeit with a hammer instead of a ice pick but you get the gist), the tool would first go through a loop at the bottom of the backpack, be flipped upside down, then tied with a small piece of rope that’s looped through the two hole of the pig nose. That way the ice pick—or hammer, or whatever—is secure without swinging about with every step.

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

But how did these diamond patches become a mainstream backpack staple, even for those who don’t hike?

In an interview between Reader’s Digest and Ryan Lee, director of product at JanSport backpack company (you know, that backpack brand that ALWAYS has pig noses) explained that back in its early years, JanSport sold their products at the campus bookstore at University of Washington. The students would then buy the backpacks meant for hiking and mountaineering to carry their books to class. That tipped JanSport off that maybe their backpacks were just as good for everyday folks. However, they kept the diamond tab to add a bit of rugged, adventurous flair. “A signature detail to nod to the past,” as Lee put it.

 backpacks, jansport, lash tab, hiking, mountaineering, fashion, history, explainer videos Going from class to class in college is pretty much the same things as hiking. Photo credit: Canva

That said, they lash tabs might seem like they don’t really function anymore, especially since, as Kristy noted in his video, most backpacks no longer come with the bottom loop intended to work with the tab. But, they can still be used, even if not to the same degree. You can still use a small bit of rope or cord to tie things to your backpack. You just might want to make sure that pig nose is made of a durable material like real leather and has reinforced patches and dense stitching warns backpack designer Dan Vinson.

@its.sherif

This is actually a genius idea🤯#sherifelsahly

Whether you now use your lash tab to make traversing the rugged terrains of life a little easier, or simply use it for style points, it’s cool to know you have options.

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Japan's 'rice paddy art' blends modern technology and ancient crops to make living artwork

It's just different varieties of rice planted for just the right perspective.

Wikimedia Commons contributors

Rice paddy art in the village of Inakadate, Japan

When you think of Japanese art, you might picture woodblock prints, calligraphy, meticulously sculpted bonsai trees, or other traditional art forms. But a new art form has sprung up—quite literally—in Japan that blends the ancient with the new, much to visitors' delight.

If you travel out to Inakadate village in the northern part of Japan’s large island of Honshu, you might come across a massive, living piece of art that you can only truly appreciate from above. “Rice paddy art,” known as tanbo art in Japan, are massive land "paintings" created using only different varieties of rice for the shapes, colors, and shading.

 

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

 

The Inakadate area is known for its rice production and has been growing rice for over 2,000 years, but like many rural areas, it was beginning see a decline in population and economic viability in the later 20th century. According to Japanese snack maker Sakura, in the early 1990s, an Inakadate village employee named Koichi Hanada came up with an idea to create art in the rice fields using ancient rice varieties with purple and yellow leaves. He had seen elementary school kids planting them as part of a rice cultivating experience and thought it could help draw tourism to the area.

The idea has evolved into a full-blown tourist attraction. The first exhibition of rice paddy art was held in 1993 and has been held every year since. For the first few years, the art was quite simple, but gradually grew more complex. In 2003, the Mona Lisa was created, but it was noted that when viewed from above she looked a little chubby. That’s when computer modeling came in.

Fixing the perspective via computer design allowed for more elaborate, realistic rice paddy art to be created. Now, over 1,000 volunteers come together each May to plant the rice to create the artwork designed on the computer. And the designs are undeniably impressive.

I mean, look at this:

 rice paddy art, tanbo art, inakadate village, japan, rice paddy View of 2012 rice paddy artwork titled “Hibo Kannon and Acala”.Wikimedia Commons contributors 

 


Rice paddy art has spread from Inakadate village in Aomori prefecture to other rice-growing areas of Japan. The tanbo art in Gyoda was certified by the Guinness World Records as The World’s Largest Rice Paddy Art in 2015, and it's only gotten more impressive since then. Today's rice paddy artwork is often centered around popular anime and manga characters.

In October of 2023, the rice paddy artists of Gyoda created a 3-D rice paddy art by only harvesting the rice around the characters' faces, creating an even more mind-blowing effect, albeit temporary. The 3-D image was viewable for just about a month.

The impermanent nature of rice paddy art is part of what makes it so intriguing for people to see. Tourists from around the world come to see the living artwork and view it from tall buildings and observation towers.

 

Rice has been such an important part of the Japanese diet that it's sometimes called the essence of the culture. In fact, the word for cooked rice—gohan—is the same as the word for "meal" or "food." Japan's humid climate and mountainous topography with an abundance of water make it an ideal place to grow rice, and while rice consumption in Japan has been declining for some years, most Japanese meals still include it.

Of course, Japan is not the only country that grows rice; rice is certainly a staple in dozens of other countries as well. Even rice paddy art has made it's way to other countries, including China, which has developed its own traditions around the practice in some areas.

 

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

 

Communities coming together to create art for others to enjoy is always heartwarming, and to see the evolution in how one person's idea has grown into a blend of high-tech innovation and low-tech communal planting is cool for us all to see.

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